Selective transfer device for a circular knitting machine



May 5, 1970 F'. c. WIESINGER 3,509,735

SELECTIVE TRANSFER DEVICE FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed D60. 21, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FREDERICK C WIESINGER BY 62m Q.

ATTORNEY May 5, 1970 F. c. WIESINGER 3,509,735

SELECTIVE TRANSFER DEVICE FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 37 INV Tb Fmaoamcn .Wn INGEFR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,509,735 SELECTIVE TRANSFER DEVICE FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Frederick C. Wiesinger, Feasterville, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to North American Rockwell Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 692,345 Int. 'Cl. D04b 9/22 US. Cl. 66-24 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cylinder cam section having in combination for alter nate option a set of cams for effecting a knitting function and a further set of cams for transferring the stitches of individually selected cylinder needles to cooperating dial needles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) This invention pertains to dial and cylinder type knitting machines and more particularly to means for combining into one cylinder cam section the usual knit and stitch cams with improved transferring cams for making individually selected transfers of stitches according to a prepared pattern.

(2) In machines of the type described, selective transfer in the past could be effected at numerous cam sections but only with the resulting loss of those sections for subsequent knitting or tucking work. It was necessary at each section chosen for selective transfer to remove the knit and stitch cams and thereby reduce the number of feeds available for ordinary knit or tuck operations. With the set of transferring cams provided by the instant invention it is now possible to transfer selectively at a chosen section while retaining the knitting and tucking features for later use in the garment cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An independent needle knitting machine for the application of this invention includes a dial and cylinder, each having sets of independently operated needles arranged in any desired order according to various butt conditions. For actuating the cylinder needles there is a series of camming sections providing a variable continuous cam path for the needle butts to follow. Adjacent each camming section is a yarn feed for presentation to any needles which may be in a position to take yarn. To perform selective transfer operations from the cylinder needles, the camming means of this invention may be applied to particular sections without losing the knitting functions associated therewith.

Below each cylinder needle is a slidable push jack which is used to actuate those needles selected for transfer. Arranged about the machine are a number of patterning devices, such as the well known jacquard pattern drum and punched tape, by which raising-levers are actuated to raise selected push jacks and their respective needles in a predetermined pattern. The push jacks have an outwardly directed butt for providing vertical control to the jack and needle by following selected paths upon a lower cam track. Immediately below the knit and stitch cams of a particular transferring section are placed the novel cams of the invention in the lower cam track. Jacks selected by the patterning device will be raised slightly and their butts will ride the upper surface of a dividing cam, while those jacks not selected will pass beneath. Above the dividing cam is fastened a positioning cam having a descending leading edge for preventing jack overthrow and for maintaining the selected needle butt in a position below the knit cam in the upper section. Following the dividing cam is a jack raising carn which moves the selected jack sharply upward so that its associated needle butt will be above the dividing point of the transfer cam in the upper section. The transfer cam will perform its regular function of stitch transfer of the selected needle. A return cam in the lower track will draw down the selected jack to the welted position in readiness for subsequent selection at the following feed if desired.

The instant invention permits each cylinder transfer section to be used in the selective transfer of cylinder needle stitches to cooperating dial needles and in addition retains each such transfer section for ordinary knitting functions at other times in the garment cycle when transfer is not required. This double use of each transfer section olfers advantages over previously known machines in greatly increased production and labor savings in transposing from one condition to the other.

It is a general object of this invention to provide mechanism for insertion to a cylinder cam section whereby the operations of, either selectivelytransferring, or knitting and tucking may be performed at will.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view in section of a typical dial and cylinder machine showing a patterning device for making individual needle selections;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a cylinder camming section arranged for making selective transfer operations; and

FIG. 3 shows the needle cams of FIG. 2 arranged for automatic knitting and transferring functions.

Now referring to FIG. 1, the invention is applied to an independent needle knitting machine having a cylinder -11 and a dial 12 in concentric arrangement for supporting the knitting instrumentalities in their cooperative functions. A set of cylinder needles 13, each having an outwardly extending butt '14 is slidably held by the cylinder 11 and each needle 13 may be actuated from below by a push jack 15 having a butt 16 also extending outwardly. A set of dial needles 17 is supported horizontally in position to interchange stitches with an adjacent cylinder needle. It will be understood that the butts '1-4 and 16 may be of varying lengths for purposes not connected with the present invention which is. adapted to function upon all length butts.

A suitable patterning mechanism for the invention is shown, designated generally .18, although other types of devices might be employed. An individual selection requires only that a push jack 15 be raised a small distance at a specific point in the rotative cycle. The mechanism '18 includes a driven roll 19 having longitudinally extending slots 20 over which is carried an endless pattern tape 21 perforated in a prearranged pattern. A series of selecting levers 22, each carrying a downwardly directed pin 23, is supported by a fixed bar 24. A lever 22 will be moved toward the cylinder 11 by the presence of a perforation in the tape 21 alfecting the pin 23. A depending cam 25 will bear upon any levers 22, so moved, as it is rotated around the cylinder 11. This action will pivot the lever 22 to the dotted line position of FIG. 1. Raising levers 26 are pivotally supported so that one end is beneath the inward end of each lever 22 and the second end is beneath a push jack .15. When the lever 22 is depressed by the cam 25, the lever 26 will pivot to the dotted line position and raise the push jack 15 together with its needle 13.

FIG. 3 shows a typical cylinder transfer section of the prior art set up for knitting and transferring of stitches by all needles. Two gate cams 27 and 28 which overlap are in their active positions to direct the needle butts 14 above the knit cam 29 for acceptance of yarn (not shown). A stitch is then drawn by the stitch cam 30 and, when a transfer gate cam 31 is in its upper or active position as shown, all butts 14 will be placed upon the transfer cam 32 for automatic transfer of stitches to the dial needles 17 in an operation well known. To revise this cam section for making selective transfers by individual needles, it has previously been necessary to remove cams 29 and 30 and thus lose this section for knitting purposes during any later portion of a garment.

With the instant invention it becomes possible to retain the cams 29 and 30 in the section for later use. In FIG. 2 gate cams 27 and 28 and transfer gate cam 31 are shown lowered to inactive positions to permit all butts 14 to pass beneath the knit cam 29 and the butts of any needles which are no selected for transfer, to pass beneath the transfer cam 32. The inventive cams are in positions to control the push jack butts 16 when individually selected by the patterning mechanism 18. A jack dividing cam 33, having a very slight cam rise, is positioned near the entrance of the cam section and at a height to receive each jack butt 16 when raised to the height shown in FIG. 1 by the pivotal action of the raising lever 26. The butts 16 so selected will follow a cam path numbered 34, while those not selected will remain beneath the cam 33 and follow the cam path numbered 35. To prevent overthrow of the selected jacks and to assure that all needle butts 14 pass beneath the knit cam 29, a jack position cam 36 directs all selected jack butts 16 into the cam path 34. All selected butts 16 in the cam path 34 will be raised by a raising cam 37, which action will place each associated needle butt 14 above the dividing point of the transfer cam 32 and a transfer will be elfected thereby. The selected butts 16 are immediately lowered by a butt return cam 38 to the welted position to be available for selection at the subsequent feed if desired.

With the cams of this invention, numerous cam sections can be arranged for selective transfer of cylinder needle stitches according to any prepared pattern, while retaining those cam sections for use on other courses in their usual knitting or tucking operations. With this arrangement the selective transferring sections may revert to ordinary operation when individual selective transfer is not require and the advantages of having these additional feeds available will be readily apparent.

While one embodiment of the invention has been dis closed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. In an independent needle circular knitting machine having in combination (A) a cylinder, (B) a complement of cylinder needles carried by said cylinder, (C) push jacks slidably retained in said cylinder for actuating each one of said cylinder needles, (D) a dial concentric with said cylinder, (E) a complement of dial needles for cooperation with said cylinder needles, (F) a patterning device to provide movement to said push jacks selectively, and I (G) at least one cylinder transfer section, said transfer section including (i) camming means for guiding said cylinder needles through knitting or transferring functions,

(2) at least one gate cam,

(3) a transfer gate cam, each of said cams having active and inactive positions, said gate cam being in said active position when guiding said cylinder needles through the knitting function, and said transfer gate cam being in active psition when guiding said cylinder needles through the transferring function, and

(4) further means for initiating the transferring function individually to each one of said cylinder needles which is associated with a push jack that has been selected by said patterning device.

35 2. Mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said gate cam and said transfer gate cam are placed in said inactive positions when said patterning device is selectively moving said push jacks.

References Cited WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

